MTG Salvation

Hi all. Here again with a revision of an old deck I posted, utilizing Lyzolda, the Blood Witch at the helm. Or is it? Truth be told, I started to want to built Wort, Boggart Auntie and I noticed a lot of the synergies in Wort, could incorporate here as a lot of Goblins are already good on the curve for Miss Lyz anyway. So after weeks of testing and analyzing, and testing some more, I came up with this list, dubbed "Auntie Lyzolda" which combines the best attributes of Wort with the best attributes of Lyzolda, that helped carry me to an 8-1 showing in a MODO League. Now, I'm not gonna come out here and say "this is the next coming" yadda, yadda, yadda, or start saying it's the new wave to take control of the French metagame or anything like that(it actually isn't French legal, thanks to a few key cards in the deck). But ultimately, what I have here, is a very powerful deck that had the following highlights:

Anyway, without further ado, here is the list that brought me my success. Check it out, I want to know your thoughts, and changes one could make to improve on it. Again, it is currently set to the standard banlist as the events are on MODO, but ultimately aside from a few key cards(Bitterblossom, Strip Mine, Mind Twist, Sol Ring iirc) it is French-ready.

That concludes the tour of my "Auntie Lyzolda" deck, again any questions/comments/suggestions or just general praise feel free to ask and I would be more than to respond, consider, and if proven better than an existing choice, make the proper change to continue to further this deck's success.

I admit it seems harder to upgrade this fully to be French-compliant, but if I did, I would probably do something like...
Mind Twist--->Mind Shatter
Strip Mine--->Wasteland/Ghost Quarter, etc, etc.
Bitterblossom--->Goblin Assault? It still makes bodies, (hasty, even) to carry Swords, Jittes, and the creature type synergizes with other effects(Cabal Slaver). It sucks though that they can't block.
Sol Ring---> Ancient Tomb? (This is probably the hardest, but I think I would be okay with just another land really. I don't tend to get much value out of Ring anyway as I have a lot of coloured symbols).

Not for 40 life. It's too much buffer for control or combo to go through.

Speaking of which, this list is far too slow to have a prayer of hitting 40 life before they win.

Check out some of the lyzolda lists, they are built for 30 but can easily hit 40 after another turn.

Quote from Gaka

Not for 40 life. It's too much buffer for control or combo to go through.

Speaking of which, this list is far too slow to have a prayer of hitting 40 life before they win.

Check out some of the lyzolda lists, they are built for 30 but can easily hit 40 after another turn.

Even with all the artifact mana it's still too slow? Fair. I guess I'm always hopeful, I tried to do a spin on another Heartless burn deck that used to stomp me all the time at the LGS. I agree that Lyzolda is probably better(I know someone else who runs her as well) so will look into her.

After heeding Gaka's advice I looked into Lyzolda, the Blood Witch and wow colour me impressed. This deck is pretty hot(no pun intended? ), she's 3 mana for a 3/1 that's a built-in sac outlet for any of my guys that draws me cards and gives me extra reach. I like her a lot.



I guess I should mention about Underworld Dreams, that's a meta call, I have both a Nin, the Pain Artist deck and a Sygg, River Cutthroat deck in my meta, so the extra reach from Dreams has helped to keep them in check.

edit: Is it the right call for me to be considering Shattering Pulse for some extra artifact hate over Living Death? Almost every time I've drawn Living Death, I haven't wanted to cast it because my opponents have better/more stuff in their graves than me. Am I crazy for contemplating this cut? O_o

edit 2: Cut Living Death for Oxidda Scrapmelter instead. It's a creature, easily recurrable for repeat effects, and plays nicely with Lyzolda.

Just played a 3 way last night versus both Sygg, River Cutthroat and Nin, the Pain Artist. Apparently, my Persisted Murderous Redcap and Oxidda Scrapmelter got there when Redcap picked up a Sword of Light and Shadow(and kept recurring a Fleshbag Marauder...seems brutal). When Flametongue Kavu joined the party and picked up Umezawa's Jitte, it was over with. This was after Lyzolda got hit by a Spin Into Myth. Yeah I know, I didn't have the mana up to use to sac her because I just sac'd my Bloodgift Demon in response to a Mind Control.

I guess that's what happens when opponent's draw no removal. or, when you play value dudes like Redcap and FTK that make you feel bad for playing spot removal on after they've already done their job.

I'm just really in <3 with this deck. It's amazing.

Just doing some research, what does everyone think about making more creatures both B and R to get both effects off of Lyzolda more often? It sounds powerful, but is it more cute than anything? I mean, I'm pretty content with the list in it's current form, it's strong and does it's job well, but I'm always up for improvements. Anyway here's a list of B/ hybrid/multicolour creatures that could fit the bill.



Anyways yeah, just not sure if this idea seems more gimmicky than powerful/worth it. Thoughts?

-1 Destructive Force
-1 Burning of Xinye
-1 Wort, Boggart Auntie
-1 Wildfire

+1 Sword of Fire and Ice
+1 Arcbound Reclaimer
+1 Hellhole Rats
+1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

Whatever is the fastest way to transform to play, transform, and protect Elbrus, the Binding Blade into Withengar Unbound.

Demonic Tutor and his ilk
Stoneforge Mystic and her ilk
Whispersilk Cloak and its ilk

I imagine that if you used Kaalia of the Vast as a 'junk commander' (only for her colors so you can include the cards you want in your deck), you can make a pretty scary Withengar Deck.

Although, maybe Esper would be better, if you feel Blue deck control can speed up your combo and counters could protect it?
or Ghave-colored, if you wanted to seriously abuse Doubling Season, lol.

Either way, Red might not be the color of choice to do it with, but a Withengar-based strategy certainly feels inspired by the philosophy of RDW. Probably if you want to cause THE most damage possible as quickly as possible, using Red to somehow grant Withengar Double Strike is the EDH version of what 'Burn' looks like. Oh, and of course he'll want haste. A hasty, double striking Withengar. that's just terrifying.

There's another thing you could use Withengar for. Extra combat steps, which is practically as good as a Time Warp for what you have in mind. If you get that Hasty, Double-Striking Withengar even ONE more combat step, you can mutilate two players at the table. 3 combat steps and you can maybe kill 2 people at once. If you kill 2 people out of nowhere in one turn, then either you do not get a second turn, or you win that game.

Since your Lyzolda lists already look pretty nice, but White is pretty essential for the extra tutoring to speed up Withengar, why don't you build a deck with Kaalia as the General, but use mostly your Lyzolda list with Withengar tech squeezed in?

I actually used to use Withengar Unbound is my own Kaalia list(Primer in Sig), but the problem I found with him is he needed SFM to get him down reliably. Ultimately I swapped him out for Hoard-Smelter Dragon for extra consistency lol.

Quote from dawN

I've played Lyzolda in a competitive meta for over a year now (an updated version can be found here: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=341982). Maybe you'll find something that you can use for your own version of Lyz

oh yes, i do have an updated version but i couldnt upload it to here because mtgs was down earlier. will try to update tomorrow morning/afternoon though.

List current as of 3-28-12.

Added a second list. I'm kind of unsure of which list I like more/is better. Any feedback between the two lists/opinions would be most appreciated. Currently, I'm leaning a bit towards the 2nd list as being better, but I am unsure as the creature count feels a bit low for an aggro deck, even with the recursion package I'm packing.

Quote from dawN

What exactly are you trying to build? If you really want to play aggro, your curve is way to high. My guess is you play with 40 life and without any 1on1 ban list restriction.
The list and its general don't seem to fit. I would suggest playing Olivia Voldaren instead. She has a more useful ability for R/B Good Stuff decks.

P.S.
Juzam Djinn is awesome I need to get one

Yeah, we play on MTGO, so 40 life and multiplayer banlist. And I don't like Olivia as compared to Lyzolda. She provides me a sac outlet, and extra reach, and extra draw. I also like that she costs 3 vs Olivia's 4.

That's also why I have a Juzam Djinn, Imperial Recruiter and a Grim Tutor, ha. I have Imperial Seal as well, but tbh I hate casting it. Sorcery speed tutour to the top FTL. As far as I'm concerned, it's trash. Hence why it isn't in my list. Though I'll play it in a combo deck, as I just want more ways to find my stuff to go off. But I still don't like it.

edit: I also like the 2nd list better. I like the discard spells pulling stuff from an opponent's hand. Though I think the first list is better for multiplayer because discard sucks in anything other than 1v1.

Quote from dawN

If you play on MTGO you won't have access do every card or am I wrong?

For example you could replace Talisman of Indulgence for Chrome Mox or Mox Diamond. Both cards are amazing.

You still have to pay for them(and Diamond is like $13 or so last I checked). And I actually cut Chrome Mox earlier as I never have anything I feel I can safely pitch to it. If I had a Diamond though I'd happily run it over Mox though.

Updated by adding a list legal for French 1v1 play.

Updated as of the results of the last League I played this deck in, completing at an astonishing record of 8-1.

Alright, got it sorted out. Decided to cut the Æther Vial" target="blank">Æther Vial as it does oh-so-horribly fail the top deck test as it is only good on t1 or t2. When it's good, it's amazing, but when it's bad, it's abysmal. The number of games I've won with t1 Vial are far outnumbered by the times I get frustrated for top decking it on t9. So it's been removed. Realized my Crypt wasn't in here, so I cut the four drop Hound to add it. Hound only bashes for damage, and if I want something for that, Juzam and Shambling do that better, and more consistently.

Æther Vial" target="blank">Æther Vial ---> Avalanche Riders
Hound of Griselbrand ---> Mana Crypt

And Ancient Tomb will be replacing a Mountain eventually when I collect my prize for taking first in the current league I'm in. Either that, or I'm getting a Stifle for Sygg.

Quote from Beefarew

take out the banned cards from french blist f you want to even begin making 1v1
http://duelcommander.com/rules/

1v1 =/= automatically mean French buddy. However, I do mention how to swap said non-legal French cards out for their similar replacements in the OP.

I've recently started trying to build a lyzolda deck for a 40 life edh environment and stumbled upon your list as pretty much one of the only examples of this i can find so far, but I have one big question for you... why no sulfuric vortex?

Quote from Revan42

I've recently started trying to build a lyzolda deck for a 40 life edh environment and stumbled upon your list as pretty much one of the only examples of this i can find so far, but I have one big question for you... why no sulfuric vortex?

Hey! Good question. Actually, that is probably a good idea to slot in. Never thought about it. Been always considering Everlasting Torment and Rain of Gore in that slot instead. Good idea though, needs some testing!

I see you're from Phoenix. I just moved from there myself a couple months ago. But I do miss it some.

Yea Im hopefully gonna be moving away from here in about a year for a job myself, but Itll always be home i suppose lol.
Anyway, What do you think about vampiric tutor or any of the new rakdos guild cards from rtr? any worth including?
Personally Im looking at rakdos's return, maybe the charm, possibly rakdos himself although Im not too sure about him yet.

Quote from Revan42

Yea Im hopefully gonna be moving away from here in about a year for a job myself, but Itll always be home i suppose lol.
Anyway, What do you think about vampiric tutor or any of the new rakdos guild cards from rtr? any worth including?
Personally Im looking at rakdos's return, maybe the charm, possibly rakdos himself although Im not too sure about him yet.

I still need to address the list a bit for RTR updates(looking at ash zealot for sure). I like the new Rakdos in here as a finisher, four mana 6/6 flyer is awesome, and both colours too, and I like the Cryptborn Horror too. Rakdos Charm is pretty legit, I think. So many changes and cards to look at.

Frankly Im looking at rakdos over something like the djinn just on budgetary concerns haha, but the Djinn is probably better because of the lack of casting restrictions.
Ash zealot is a guarenteed in and the cryptborn horror i want to find room for my nice gameday promo one haha other than that Im not sure whether it will make it or not.

Quote from Revan42

Frankly Im looking at rakdos over something like the djinn just on budgetary concerns haha, but the Djinn is probably better because of the lack of casting restrictions.
Ash zealot is a guarenteed in and the cryptborn horror i want to find room for my nice gameday promo one haha other than that Im not sure whether it will make it or not.

Yea I am on Magic Online so it is a bit easier on me to get a Juzam. No way could I get one irl haha. Abyssal Persecutor is certainly a more recent option that could slot in for him if you wanted.

Definitly on the list of cards to test for sure, although I think I like rakdos more just for being both colors for lyzolda'a ability if that ever becomes relevant. and so far I dont think Ill have any problems casting rakdos, there are plenty of ways to get damage in to cast him lol.